Voice From The Distance
by Tachyon II
Summary: A Pathfinder add-on. I would have liked to see this kind of scene in the episode itself.


"Mom!" Gretchen heard. "Mom?! Where are you?"

This was quite unexpected.

"Phoebe?" Gretchen asked as she got up on her feet and saw her daughter pacing on the farmyard looking for her. "Honey? What brings you here in this early in the morning?"

"Mom, come to the house", Phoebe asked almost out of breath. "You have to see this. It's been broadcasted nonstop during the last half an hour."

"What is?"

"Just come to the house, mom."

Gretchen took off her gloves, dropped them on the ground and followed her daughter without further questions. Once they stepped over the doorstep, Phoebe almost ran to the viewer and switched it on.

"Look mom", she said her eyes gleaming. "And listen. Especially listen."

Gretchen looked at the viewer where a female reporter of Global Watch was explaining something that was labeled as "BREAKING NEWS". Then a picture of the Starfleet emblem appeared on the top right corner of the screen and Gretchen knew instantly that whatever she was about to hear, had something to do with Kathryn. Her heart leapt and she let out a silent prayer; "let this be good".

"Starfleet now confirms that they have indeed succeeded to contact the starship USS Voyager, which is still travelling across the unknown region of space thousands of light-years away from Earth. This is not the first time Starfleet has contacted the ship, but this is the first time Starfleet officers have actually talked with the Captain Janeway of the USS Voyager. The following transmission was uploaded by the Starfleet representatives, which is the first clip of audio from the starship that was lost over six years ago."

"Starfleet Command, come in."

"Kathryn…" Gretchen whispered as tears began to burn her eyes.

"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway. Do you read me?"

It was her. It really was her daughter whose voice gave Gretchen instantly goose bumps. Her daughter was still out there, alive, and on her way home.

"It's her mom", Phoebe told as she took her mother's hand into her own.

"Captain, this is Lieutenant Reginald Barclay at Starfleet Command", man's voice told.

"It's good to hear your voice, Lieutenant. We've been waiting a long time for this moment."

"Oh honey…", Gretchen managed to whisper. Tears blurred her vision, but she didn't close her eyes to drop them. What she saw wasn't important. What she heard was everything. Every single word she heard took some of the pain away, which had been her companion during the last six years.

"We are transmitting our ship's logs, crew reports and navigational records to you now", Kathryn's voice told.

"How are your people holding up?" another man asked. Gretchen recognized the speaker before the name of "Admiral Paris" even appeared on the screen.

"Very well. They're an exemplary crew, your son included", Kathryn replied.

Gretchen held her breath. An enormous wave of repressed emotions took over her. It had been so hard to say goodbye to her, so difficult to admit that her daughter was gone. It had been almost unbearable to accept that she wouldn't be able to see her again, to take her in her arms and say how proud she was of all of her accomplishments. But now there was hope again and hearing her voice instead of reading words from the PADD made Kathryn more real somehow. Finally the long lasted sorrow lightened its grasp around her heart.

"And that was a part of the first trans-galactic communication", Global Watch reporter told. "According to Starfleet, this is a remarkable step forward in communicating with the lost starship Voyager in the Delta Quadrant. Needless to say that this is, without a doubt, also a day of joy and happiness for all those people who have love ones onboard Voyager, which was lost in the Delta Quadrant almost six years ago…"

Gretchen wiped out her tears and took Phoebe in her arms.

"Imagine if we can talk to her soon", Phoebe said her voice trembling.

"Oh goodness…", Gretchen sighed.

"Kathryn said they are well mom."

"I know."

Phoebe lifted her head and kissed her mother's cheek. Gretchen smiled as burst of pride and joy filled her heart.

This was a good day to be alive. Today she knew for certain that her daughter was still on her way home. She may not witness her return with her own eyes, she might not have an opportunity to look in her eyes and tell her how proud she was, but at least she knew that she was still guiding her ship somewhere there, between the stars. And in that thought she found peace.


End file.
